Method of making imitation mosaic



Oct. 9, 1934. E. A. coRBlN, JR., Er A1. 1,975,926

l METHOD OF MAKING IMITATION MOSAIC Filed Dec. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 9, 1934. E. A. coRBlN, JR., Er AL 1,975,926

METHOD OF MAKING' IMITATION MOSAIC Filed Dec.. l2, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 9, 1934 osAIc f to William C. Biddle, Lansdt'n'vnerhl,a.A

Application December 12, lssfs'efial No. 701,966

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to a new and wseful product calculated to simulate the appearance of genuine mosaic and a novel method of making Athe same whereby a very inexpensive substitute 5- for the very expensive conventional mosaic work is obtained, the product thus produced being adapted for the reproduction of works of art or for wall or floor coverings, and the like, to combine esthetic and utilitarian objects equally. Our invention still further relates to a product which is durable and washable and in which the artistic design is adequately protected from wear and tear. The characteristics of this product and the method of making the same lwill be more '1 clearly set forth in the following specication in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic plan View illustrating the rst step in the manufacture of 20.1 our novel imitation mosaic.

Fig. 2 represents a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the second step in the method of making our inovel imitation mosaic.

Fig. 4 represents a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary and diagrammatic view in vertical section illustrating the third step of the method of producing our imitation mosaic.

Fig. 6 represents a diagrammatic fragmentary plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 represents a vertical, sectional View of the '35'1nished product.

Referring to Fig. 1, we first employ a backing 1 of any desired material, and on the surface of which we apply any desired artistic design, either by lithographing the design directly on the face of 40 the backing 1 or by adhesively securing thereto a complete picture 2. The complete unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is then cut by means of any suitable die to produce separate pieces 3 which are separated from each other by intervening 4'5 spaces 4, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The unit 1 cut into the pieces 3, as shown in Fig. 3, is then placed in a wire basket 5 with the pieces 3 in the order shown in Fig. 3 but spaced from each other and is then placed in the bath of sodium v silicate or other sizing and water-proofing solution so as thoroughly to impregnate and coat the pieces 3 with the desired transparent quick-drying insoluble sizing liquid so as to glaze the pieces n 3 and protect the parts of the picture 2 appearing 5'5 thereon and to render the pieces and ultimately the finished product safely washable. After the sizing is dry the pieces 3, still in the order shown in Fig. 3 but spaced from each other and still retained in the basket or other tray employed in the sizing bath, are placed on the platform or 60.3 table 6 which has on its top a coating 7 of any suitable thickness, consisting of any desired cement such as a mixture of sodium silicate and lead oxide, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. 'Ihe pieces 3 are then pressed downwardly in the direction 65:'. of the arrow in Fig. 5 and are also pressed together laterally in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 6 to force the cement '7 upwardly through the spaces 4 between the pieces 3 and to produce a layer 8 of this cement at the bottom of the 70.; backing unit 1 which serves to unite the pieces 3 into an integral picture. The cement entering between the pieces 3 not only serves to join the pieces together but also serves to produce a pointing eiTect, the same as the cement pointing which is seen between stones in regular masonry and between tiles in a tile floor or wall. The excess cement oozing up through the spaces 3 above the face 9 of the completed product is wiped off while it is still 3ml soft, and when the sodium silicate and lead oxide cement has set and hardened an integral unit of the desired size is produced which can be placed in position on the floor or on the wall as a unit but which in fact is composed of a plu- 85.5; rality of sections 3 cemented together, both between the sections and at the bottom thereof, in

the same manner as ordinary pieces of mosaic are pasted together and to a backing in the production of conventional mosaic except that by my 903, novel method the expense involved in skilled labor and in the length of time required for the choosing and skillful setting of the proper pieces to form the desired mosaic is greatly reduced without in any way sacrificing from the resultant effect obtained.

While in the drawings and in the specification we have illustrated the formation of a complete single plaque or unit, it is to be understood that this imitation mosaic can be made from larger 10a pieces to sell by the yard with the same recurrent design or with a continuous design and that this method of making imitation mosaic lends itself equally well to the reproduction of pictures, photographs, portraits, and the like.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making imitation mosaic which consists in applying the desired design on 1101 1 Ofi to a sheet material, die cutting the sheet material along predetermined lines to produce separate spaced pieces, placing the spaced but not disarranged pieces on a surface of soft cement, and finally pressing the pieces downwardly on the cement surface and laterally against each other to produce an integrated unit having walls of cement between the pieces and a continuous layer of cement at the under side thereof.

2. The method of making imitation mosaic which consists in cutting a sheet material into separate spaced pieces along predetermined lines, placing the spaced but not `dis'arranged pieces 'on a surface of soft cement, and finally pressing the pieces downwardly on the cement surface and laterally against each other to produce an integrated unit having walls of cement between the pieces and a continuous layer of cement at the under side thereof.

3. The method of making imitation mosaic which consists in applying the desired design on to a sheet material, die cutting the sheet material along predetermined lines to produce separate spaced pieces, dipping the spaced but not disarranged pieces into a sizing bath and allowing said pieces to dry, placing the spaced but not disarranged pieces on a surface of soit cement, and finally pressing the pieces downwardly on the cement surface and laterally against each other to produce an integrated unit having walls of cement between the pieces and a continuous layer of cement at the under side thereof.

ELBERT A. CORBIN, JR. ELLWOOD W. WOLF. 

